


Pokémon Chronicles: Diary Of Eternal Memories

by TNTFour



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Diary/Journal, F/M, Following In Another's Footsteps, Long-Distance Relationship, Other, Post-Series, Side Story, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:28:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22758532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TNTFour/pseuds/TNTFour
Summary: Well after the events of the Kalos and Alola sagas, Ash's former traveling friend Serena has started a new journey across the world documenting for herself and for the Santalune Journal, meeting many past companions in an attempt to learn the true side of and reunite with her faraway crush.
Relationships: Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Serena
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	1. Entry of a Kalosian Maiden

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. No turning back from writing this potentially long work. I've been meaning to do something with my personal favorite Pokémon character for a while and this must be my chance. With few exceptions, every chapter is planned to be done in Serena's own handwriting, her journey and not mine. Hopefully, things won't fall apart in the process.
> 
> In any event, Serena's team so far:  
> Braixen ♀︎, Serena's first and most loyal partner with a knack for retaining cleanliness and being the main event of many of Serena's performances.  
> Pancham ♂︎, a mischievous and egotistical little rascal of a teammate, always wearing flashy red sunglasses and had a rivalry with Clemont's equally prankster-like Chespin when they were traveling together.  
> Sylveon ♀︎, Originally an extremely shy Eevee, Sylveon loves to show off its grace and is alert enough to be the first to respond to danger.
> 
> And of course, copyright info's down at the bottom. In addition, this fanfic holds some views that do not necessarily represent the views of myself, the author, and will not hold accountability for any offenses regarding such views. Alright, let's do this.

How long has it been since the day I parted with him? For anyone else, it’s a little over three years, but it felt more like ages in my mind, after everything I had been through. Hoenn had at least been a blast, to say the least, my background as a Pokémon Performer in Kalos that defined my dream and who I was as a Trainer had made the world of Pokémon Contests somewhat less of the hassle I at first envisioned. My fourth Contest Ribbon had come from a close-shave victory against a certain Coordinator that I had met a few days into my journey through the region and said she knew the same person I did. She went on to say the two had been Contest icons in Hoenn, even splitting their last Ribbon on a draw, which was something I kind of wish I tried doing if I ever was given the chance.

As for now, I had sat alone in the Pokémon Center simply admiring in silence that fourth Ribbon I got mere hours ago, interrupted by the five-tone B-B-B-G♯-E jingle and Nurse Joy reporting, “Serena Y. Gabena, your Pokémon have been restored to full health!” The ring was almost enough to snap me off my seat, to be honest, and so I quickly rushed to pick up my Poké Balls with a quiet thank you to the Nurse, only to run into the girl a few steps later. “Hey Serena, thought you were gonna stay here after the Contest,” she said in the usual light-hearted mood I came to knew her for.

“Oh, uhm…right, May.” I replied, chuckling to the side, “The Center fee just rose high enough that I can’t afford it, so, perhaps I can crash at your place?” We spent most of our time traveling on separate ways while still staying in touch, though any time we were together I was always hosting our shelter for the night. The girl shrugged and said, “Why not? I’ve got better snacks at my place anyway.” and tugged my hand out of the building with a wide smirk along her face.

Our walk through the small town had been mostly silent, not that it bothered either of us. Something about the dim-lit streetlamps in the black sky captivated us a little to stray away from any sort of chatter. Eventually, of course, that silence would have been broken a few more blocks down the road, where at the crosswalk May gave me some news that would easily throw me off, “So, you heard they gave you an application form for the Santalune Journal in Kalos?”

I looked at her in slight disbelief almost pretending I didn’t hear her. “Wait, they want me for the Journal?”

“Yeah, your looks and savvy would be perfect for them!”

“But…I’m still a Coordinator. I’m still a Performer. I can’t just give that up for a simple journalism job.”

“Who said you had to give that up? It’s not like you won’t get a break there.”

“R-right…”

“Besides, everyone already knows your real reason for doing the Coordinator thing.”

“What reason?”

“Come on, you know. It’s because you wanted to try impressing  _ him _ .”

“Impressing who?”

“Him. Ash.”

I stopped in place. That name…Ash…Ash Ketchum. It always buzzed through my mind like a Cutiefly in a flower patch. He was an interesting character, I’m sure you (if anyone’s reading through this) had already figured that out. I hadn’t spoken to him since we last parted ways at the end of our journey through Kalos, yet he always remained there in my heart, someone I knew I was willing to come back to. I sighed and replied, “What does Ash have to do with this?”

“Well, I dunno if you know, but he’s seen a lot of things with a lot of people, and I’m not just talking about when I traveled with him,” May explained, “First I heard of him, it was when my brother Max saw him in the Johto League. We then met in Sinnoh once where I met another strong Coordinator. Last I heard from him, he was somewhere in the Unova region, that kid’s just been everywhere, and I’m sure you’d actually get to know him well if you ever came across a single person that saw him too.

In the back of my mind, I knew May was right. I saw him by my side, and I saw what he could do, not just on the battlefield but more importantly off it. He spoke with a pure heart and the experience of a sage enlightening almost anyone in his path. Maybe with that in mind, I was a little wrong about him, that I just didn’t know enough about him to truly call him someone I cared most. Looking down and hesitating, I finally declared with a heavy breath, “Fine, I’ll take the job.” I know I was hooked on the idea the moment I heard Ash’s name, but I  _ was _ beyond willing to check out any other region I could reach anyway.

“Great! I’ll let ‘em know ASAP.” May responded with a wink before continuing our path to the hotel, running a little to force me to hurry behind her. A few hours later I was already in bed, pajamas and all, staring out onto the window beside me, May sleeping on the bunk under me. The starry night had already been coated in clouds, with the only lights coming from the same streetlamps below. All I think of as long as I was awake was Ash and whether or not I was ready for my new gig, asking simple things as, “What did Ash see that I didn’t?” “How did he manage to earn so much trust and strength for so long?” “How could I follow on that exact same road as he did?”

_ “How could I love him again?” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ENTRY: Santalune Blues, an entry about busier life in a smaller town, and the energy needed to last in the journalism business.
> 
> Alright, at least one chapter can be finished. Now the tougher part: Dedication to this series. Yikes.
> 
> This chapter and all subsequent ones will be mirrored onto [Tumblr](https://tntfour.tumblr.com/post/190862787145/pok%C3%A9mon-chronicles-eternal-memory-chapter-i) which is also my main social media platform, any questions or comments can also be answered there. Pokémon Chronicles: Diary Of Eternal Memories is a production of Sygma Studios, and it may not be reproduced, plagiarised, or otherwise reposted without credit and express-written consent. Pokémon, Pokémon Chronicles, the Serena character, and anything else mentioned are trademarks of Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures Inc., TV Tokyo, O.L.M., Shogakukan Productions, and JR Kikaku. Please support the official release. ©MMXX
> 
> And even though Drew burns down the rose garden with a Team Magma mech whenever he sees this at the end of the line: Everyone, keep getting Pokémon!


	2. Santalune Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Serena manages to land back onto Kalosian soil, and manages to have a slightly startled introduction to her co-worker, a tall lady named Sasha.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This...really shouldn't have been procrastinated for five whole months. I do apologize sincerely for this sin that I really wanna swear won't haunt me later. Sigh.
> 
> Same team as last time for Serena, for the new girl Sasha, a lean fit lady from the North with a clear side of roughneck in her attitude:  
> Weavile ♂︎, an always alert silent killer that has stayed with Sacha since her youth, usually on the lookout for survival items on the road and is quick to make a first strike.
> 
> And of course, copyright info's down at the bottom. In addition, this fanfic holds some views that do not necessarily represent the views of myself, the author, and will not hold accountability for any offenses regarding such views.

Santalune, Kalos, 7:30 a.m.

My red-eye to Santalune from Lilycove would’ve been in pure silence had it not been for the small low-flying plane’s screeching and heated engine, considering this was the only plane and airline going to the city’s tiny airport worth a measly ¥3294 I guess I got what I paid for. While it took me at least eight hours to actually fall asleep thanks to that hissing thing, for as long as I was awake the hissing turned into a strange, more familiar sound. It almost sounded like a much younger me, and I could’ve sworn I saw her image calling out my name in my tired eyes. Unfortunately, I drifted off to sleep before my mind could tap any further into any of that.

Over half a day later, I found myself back on Kalosian soil, though clearly a torpid mess, like I woke up from a quarter-century coma. It wasn’t until a flight attendant had to escort my barely mobile body out of the plane and bring me a cup of Leppa-scented coffee from the terminal food court that I could even stand up on two feet. That spicy taste was enough to surge the nostalgia of home through my body, my eyes opened wide and I sighed with a heavy heart. I suppose it really has been too long since I’ve been back home. I relished that first moment I stepped out of the airport, not in a hurry to reach the Gym where the Journal shares quarters with, more just happy to get a chance to spend a day or two back in the region I was raised in. I even had the urge to boast, “I’m home!” to the open air, but I resisted out of my usual modesty.

I’ll be honest, the town hasn’t really changed since I left for Hoenn, maybe one or two shops getting some facelift from the regional council, the community fund was promoted a lot more across the streets, and plenty more flora lined the awnings and balconies of every building in sight, but other than that, it was just as I remembered it, there were even some passersby that recognized me the moment I crossed their eyes. It just felt so warm and dear to me, like I was still a little kid running around the streets in innocent joy. I took a sniff of the faint scent of Stun Spore remnants constantly wafting out from the Gym, sighing and saying, “Feels like the battling spirit is in the air, right Ash?”

I stopped in place, my smile disappearing in an instant. “…Ash?” I repeated softly. That was when reality hit me again. I was alone this time. I didn’t have Ash, or Clemont, or Bonnie, or anyone at my side. It was just me, with the cold wind brushing roughly on me. I looked down realizing what I had done, someone was probably staring at me right now thinking I was crazy. How could I be able to handle this new job as a lone journalist if I have no one to be around to directly support me most of the time?

I stood there frozen in place for what felt like at least a minute, trying to seep in this now unfamiliar experience. Eventually, I ended up snapped back to my senses from something actually frozen, something sharp poking against my back, making me jump and almost trip into the streets. “H-Hey, what was that for?” I exclaimed in the temporary shock before noticing exactly what it was, a dark navy-shaded sharp-clawed Pokémon with a sly grin along its rather narrow face. The more I looked into its eyes, the more my curiosity wanted to take over, even though the clear shimmer on its claw felt like a good giveaway that it could slash me at any moment. I fumbled for my Pokédex in my back pocket and try letting it do some of the work, scanning in its trademark record time.

“WEAVILE,” the device’s polite voice begins, “THE SHARP CLAW POKÉMON, AND THE EVOLVED FORM OF SNEASEL. #461, DARK/ICE TYPE. THEY LIVE IN COLD REGIONS, FORMING GROUPS OF FOUR OR FIVE THAT HUNT PREY WITH IMPRESSIVE COORDINATION.”

I shrugged a bit at the device. “…Yeah, I can probably notice.” I replied sarcastically before looking back at this new Pokémon, still a little confused. If it’s known to live in the cold, certainly someone owned it, maybe it was lost or something? Before I could get a chance to converse with it, it tried lunging at me with enough force to make me flinch again, but it was ultimately interrupted by a rather heavy voice from my left. “Come on, Weavile, Let’s not make another scene out here.” it boomed into the Pokémon’s ear, stopping in place while the person’s figure approaches it.

Once again I was left staring again at who I first assumed was Weavile’s Trainer, she was tall and lean, didn’t look like much of a talker from the look in her eyes, and...a Frimapic-brand Snover-pattern fir coat? Genuine? I thought those things went up for thousands at boutique stores! I had at least five questions on that alone, but then I remembered what the current event at hand was. “Uhm…hello, miss…” I tried greeting the woman with a clear stutter out of light embarrassment, “…I take it this Pokémon is supposed to be yours, right?”

“Yes, and I take it this business card is supposed to be yours as well, right?” she repeated back my question while tossing me a small pale-green business card reading, “SERENA YVONNE GABENA, JOURNALIST IN TRAINING, SANTALUNE JOURNAL” She sighed as she continued, “Alexa’s been waitin’ for ya all morning, what’s taking so long?”

I gulped. “Oh, y’know, just…trying to take in the scenery! That’s all!” I tried making up one of those dumb white lie cover-ups everyone in the movies do, but who am I kidding? This new woman, presumably my new workmate as well, was clearly someone who preferred taking things seriously. I simply sighed myself and bowed down a little with a deadpan “I’m sorry…” She shrugged and motioned me along the pathway towards the Gym, prompting, “Let’s talk while we walk. Oh, and the name’s Sergeyeva. Sasha Sergeyeva.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sasha…” I said as my smile returns and I try keeping pace with her during our little stroll, “If I may ask, where did you get the coat from? I’ve seen that everywhere and I was never able to afford that! I’m surprised I’d find anyone in person wearing it!”

“Bargain bin at the pawnshop. I should probably apologize to whatever innocent Pokémon was sliced for the fur on this thing.” I shuddered a little just at the thought of the comment, but try shrugging it off, maybe this Sasha person has a hunch for bluffs. “My question is, how’d you find yourself locked for a job at the Journal? Openings were supposed to close in only a few days,” she asked in return, to which I said, “A close friend of mine helped me get in, it was mostly for…personal reasons.”

“Personal, eh? Got a family in the dumps?”   


“What? No, it’s a different kind of personal, it’s a long story…”

“I think there’s more time for that when we hit the Gym, then.”

I nodded as our trip to the Gym ended up mostly silent to our surprise. Upon reaching the front doors I took a long sniff of the building’s scent at its peak, grinning from ear to ear. “Just how I remembered it…” I whispered as we walked in, where Kalos’s most talented journalist and our manager Alexa was waiting for us right in the lobby. “I got the rookie, boss!” Sasha yelled the moment she set foot onto the grounds, leaving me a light pout and Alexa a light chuckle. “Ah, Serena!” the slim brunette replied, “It’s been far too long!” She reached out to shake my hand but I needed a hug just to embrace the fact that I’m seeing one of my Kalosian friends again. “It’s been longer for me,” I said with a chuckle upon releasing.

We were led into the back office of the building where both Alexa and her sister and Santalune Gym Leader Viola’s various awards from their time at the Lumiose Press lined the walls. The two apparently wanted to stray off from the big outlets to focus on ensuring their hometown had their own reliable news source while I was away. “So, I’d assume you two have already gotten comfortable with each other on the way here?” Alexa asked at her desk. We didn’t know how to easily respond since we didn’t have that much conversation on the way here and I had my back frozen a little from a Weavile claw, so we simply nodded in response letting the manager do all the instructing. “Very well. As you know, a good news reporter wants to appear as professional as possible in front of the camera,” she continued, “You have to look sharp, understand how to analyze conflicts when you see one, make a good image to whomever you interview, that sort of thing. Pretend it’s like the Pokémon Showcase, but only the part where you give the thank you speech when you won a Princess Key!”

“Pokémon Showcase, eh?” Sasha snarked just a bit, “I came here to spill truths, not indulge in idol activities.” I grumbled and gave her a little nudge, trying to hold in any anger I could’ve released to mess up my first job interview, whispering, “It’s just a figure of speech, just play along!”

Alexa simply chuckled a bit, saying, “Right, now then, let’s try and ensure we’re both happy about this, okay? Anyway, I have your uniforms tailored and on standby in the locker rooms, you know what to do.”

“Yes, ma’am.” we responded in unison under two different tones as we stood up and went as we were instructed. I wanted to ask again about the rather coarse remark regarding the Showcase, but I once again held it back knowing this was still not a place to blow it. I ended up rather stunned seeing the outfit, and after not even five minutes of changing in silence, I walked out onto the Gym battlefield wearing a slick camo-green coat under a pale pink undershirt, with athletic sweat pants printed to look like jeans, topped with a Santalune Journal branded cap and a small braid on my left to make room for my precious blue ribbon. Sasha followed out with a similar yet leaner style, albeit with navy blue tops with a red accent to match the colors of a Sneasel. “One of us has got a ribbon, the other’s got plastic rubies. Do ya consider that fashion taste?” she asked me with her hands on her hips.

“Maybe, it  _ can _ be a gateway for idol activities,” I replied with a long smirk, finally managing to let something out regarding the Showcase comment. We’re called out by some of the Journal staff to centerfield for our first training session, and with a proud nod I sprinted out to the set trying to force Sasha into a little race. This was it, this was going to be my new start on a unique passion.

_ And I know what I want my biggest headline to be in the end. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ENTRY: Invasion Onto The Airwaves, an entry about trying to start a new job with a bang, both figuratively and literally as an actual disturbance.
> 
> This chapter, ones before it, and all subsequent ones will be mirrored onto [Tumblr](https://tntfour.tumblr.com) which is also my main social media platform, any questions or comments can also be answered there. Pokémon Chronicles: Diary Of Eternal Memories is a production of Sygma Studios and Night Vale Community Radio, and it may not be reproduced, plagiarised, or otherwise reposted without credit and express-written consent. Pokémon, Pokémon Chronicles, the Serena character, and anything else mentioned are trademarks of Nintendo, GAME FREAK, Creatures Inc., TV Tokyo, O.L.M., Shogakukan Productions, and JR Kikaku. Please support the official release. ©MMXX
> 
> And even though the Masked Royal manages enough strength through rage to flip the entire Battle Royale ring whenever he sees this at the end of the line: Everyone, keep getting Pokémon!


End file.
